Patients Cry for Help as Patna Hospital Drowns in Flood Water While Health Minister Tours Shimla

Several attendants were forced to spend the night standing as dirty water flooded the wards and corridors of the hospital.

New Delhi: In another instance of the country’s crumbling health infrastructure, a government hospital in Patna was flooded after incessant rains in the state, forcing doctors to tend to patients in knee-deep water.

Visuals showed fish swimming inside the waterlogged ICU of Nalanda Medical College and Hospital, the second-largest government hospital in the state capital which is spread over 100 acres and has around 750 beds.

Several attendants were forced to spend the night standing as dirty water flooded the wards and corridors of the hospital.

A staff member said they were facing difficulties in attending to patients and there was also a fear of being electrocuted. She added that vital machines had been switched off to avoid any untoward incident.

A security guard on duty at the hospital added that the waterlogging had increased the difficulty of patients as well as those accompanying them.

#WATCH: Fish seen in the water logged inside the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Nalanda Medical College Hospital (NMCH) in Patna following heavy rainfall in the city. #Biharpic.twitter.com/oRCnr6f0UJ

The hospital administration said it was trying to pump out the water, adding that the hospital was built on low-lying land and thus got flooded during monsoon every year.

CNN-News18 tried contacting Bihar health minister Mangal Pandey but he is in Shimla at present to oversee the preparations for BJP chief Amit Shah's visit.

Continuous rains in Patna since Friday have thrown normal life out of gear as waterlogging and traffic snarls were reported from various parts of the state capital. On Sunday, the Bailey road, considered the lifeline of Patna, caved in due to the downpour. Chief minister Nitish Kumar also visited the site of the incident to take stock of the situation. Speaking to media persons, he said a thorough probe would be conducted and those found guilty would not be spared.

The apathy has given ammunition to the opposition to attack the government, which is already facing flak for the Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual assault cases.

Nitish Kumar’s model of development. ICU of NMCH is swimming in drain water, fishes seen in ICU. Mind you, you cant question Nitish Kumar as his conscience is fast asleep and snoring with BJP. https://t.co/XucX31lZvb